Improved material for mattresses, cushions



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRIDGE FRODSHAM, OE NEW YORK, N. Y.

I MPROVED MATERIAL FOR MATTRESSES, CUSHIONS, 80C.

Specification forming part of' Letters Patent No. 33,777, dated November 26, 1861.

. annexed drawings, making part of this specification, wherein- Figure l shows my said material as being prepared, and Fig. 2 shows several separate pieces.

I am aware that ground cork has been used for stufiing life-preservers, and also that cork shavings and irregular cuttings and pieces have also been used for a similar purpose. In

all such instances there is little or no elasticity, and such cork is not adapted to studing mattresses, cushions, dac., on account of the slight elasticity and the irregularity of the mass. v

The nature of my said invention consists in a peculiar mode of preparing cork by cutting it up into fine fibers of a uniform or nearly uniform section,whereby I simultaneously obtain a very elastic fiber and one that is sufficiently small not to be broken by the bending to which it is subjected in use, and the fiber being uniform becomes durable as each fiber takes its proper proportion of strain and weight on a mattress or cushion, because there are no large or hard pieces to throw an undue strain upon the smaller pieces.

In order to prepare my cork fibers,I either cut up the cork into thin leaves by any usual means, and then again cut up these leaves in the opposite direction, so as to produce long thin fibers of a very small polygonal section, or else I employ a set of revolving cutters close together to crease or cut into the surface of a piece ot' cork, and then cutoff a thin layer from said creased surface, which causes the pieces to come off in the form of thin long,` fibers, as aforesaid. Fig. 1 shows a piece of cork with lthe fibers partially thus cut off from its face. Any of the ordin ary circular revolving or reciprocating cork-cutting knives may be employed for this purpose, as myinvention does not relate to such mechanism,but to the new article of manufacture produced-viz., fibrous cork formed by cutting cork in two directions, so as to produce long small strips or fibers of a square or nearly square section as a material adapted to stuffing cushions, mattresses, &c., possessing the requisite elasticity in consequence of the fineness of the fibers as they lie crossing each other in an indiscriminate mass.

I have employed herein the term fibrous cork as expressing the general appearance ot' the fine strips when cut, and these polygonal strips are not to exceed the sixteenth of an inch in section.

That I claim, andV desire to secure by Letters Patent as a new article of manufacture forming an elastic material forcushions, dac., 1s-

The fine polygonal strips of cork formed as specified.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 28th day of September, 1861.

BRIDGE FRODSHAM. Witnesses:

LEMUEL W. SEEEELL, Trios. GEO. HAROLD. 

